Nintendo has released the data for the last quarter of the fiscal year 2020 (the year that, we remember, began on April 1, 2019 ), thanks to which we can take a more in-depth look at the performances of the Kyoto house throughout the year just concluded.
2020 was very different from the usual since COVID-19 radically changed the market and generated impacts on the production chain in the last quarter.
Overall, the year ended in a positive way: let’s take a look at the results in detail.
This time we won’t start talking about Switch’s performances, but the incredible success achieved by Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which managed to total 11.77 million copies sold in just 11 days. No, we have not made a mistake in reporting the data: the title was published on March 20 and the data shared by Nintendo are updated to March 31, so the period considered is exactly what takes into account only the first 11 days of marketing of the game.
This is a surprising result, which Nintendo itself defines as “the best launch ever on Switch”. In front of similar numbers, there is very little to add; Animal Crossing: New Horizons perfectly embodies the concept of the right game at the right time, as it is undeniable that much of the success can also be attributed to the unusual condition in which the current society is found, forced to deal with the pandemic.
As we also highlighted in the review, New Horizons is the perfect title to escape from everyday life ( and who needs evasion more than those who are in prison in quarantine? ) And this characteristic has allowed him to make a break-even in the heart of who had never taken the series in hand. Along with this aspect, the enormous virality acquired by the title on the main social platforms also weighed heavily: everyone talks about it, everyone plays it, I have to try it!
This start with a bang has allowed the title to overcome in just 6 weeks the results achieved by the previous chapters throughout their life cycle. The infographic shared by Nintendo allows us to discover that the game has already reached 13.41 million copies sold (considering only Japan, the United States and Europe). Of course, there is an evident slowdown compared to the initial boom, but we are still faced with very important numbers for a series that has never had such a marked relevance.
SWITCH PERFORMANCE: EXCELLENT RESULTS FOR THE LITE
Put aside the Animal Crossing case, which deserved to be treated in more detail because of the result achieved, let’s go back to treating the quarterly/annual results by analyzing Switch.
The positive period continues for the flagship console of Nintendo, which has now reached 55.77 million units sold since the launch. During 2020 the combined sales of Switch and Switch Lite reached 21.02 million units (practically the 3DS is almost irrelevant, with just 690,000 pieces, -73% on an annual basis), divided as follows: 14.83 million for the standard model and 6.19 million for the Lite variant.
Overall, the hardware units sold grew by 24% compared to the 2019 data, testifying how Switch is not undergoing in any way the pressure given by the imminent arrival of the next-gen. However, it remains to be seen if Nintendo intends to respond with a further Switch update or if it will continue to offer the same lineup for some time.
SOFTWARE: DIGITAL BOOM, POKÉMON STILL A WARRANTY
The sales of the software confirm the good health of the Pokémon series, given that the recent Sword and Shield have totalled 17.37 million units sold since the launch (which took place in mid-November), a figure that allows the latest generation titles ( of which we propose the review ) to exceed the results obtained by any other release on Nintendo 3DS linked to the brand.
The performances of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are also excellent, which, despite their age, manages to total 8.08 million copies sold during the 2020 fiscal year: he is still the undisputed king of the Switch software ranking, thanks to a total of 24.77 million copies sold since launch.
Overall 2020 was a very profitable fiscal year for Switch games. The platform has seen 27 games reaching million-seller status (i.e. titles that exceed one million copies), of which 18 have been published by Nintendo ( including Mario Maker 2 and Luigi’s Mansion 3 ) and the remaining 9 by third-party developers set off.
The digital sector is also growing significantly, recording a 71.8% increase in revenues, while there is talk of +9.2 percentage points of growth (from 24.8 to 34%) as regards market shares of downloadable games compared to physical ones.
Over a third of the titles on Switch are therefore purchased through eShop; it remains to be seen whether the trend will decline once the pandemic alarm has come back or whether this phase has caused permanent changes in the habits of the players. Overall, Switch’s software sales reached 168.72 million units in 2020, up 42% from 2019 data. 3DS software stops at 4.99 million, down 62.3% on an annual basis.
MOBILE GAMES AND OTHER ASPECTS
We conclude the analysis of the data by citing the mobile sector. Nintendo certifies an increase in revenues of 11.5% compared to last year, thanks also to the excellent performances achieved by Animal Crossing Pocket Camp and Mario Kart Tour. Needless to say, the boom in New Horizons has led many players to rediscover the mobile version released some time ago. Fire Emblem Heroes is not mentioned, but we know that a large part of the mobile revenues come from this title.
Overall, Nintendo’s 2020 has been a year of growth in all respects, and the Kyoto house is preparing to face the fiscal year 2021 (which has actually already begun) with new updates for Animal Crossing, Pokémon Sword and Shield and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, for which more content is expected in the coming months. The long-awaited Definitive Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles will also debut shortly, while two titles now released by radar continue to be mentioned.
We are talking about Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4, whose names are mentioned again, but without any indication regarding the timing of the launch.
